Jannik Sinner secured his spot in the quarter-final of the ATP 500 event in Beijing. The Italian bested Terence Atmane 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 to remain on the title course.
Fellow Pokemon enthusiast pushed world no. 2 to the limits in the opening two sets. The Frenchman secured a late break in the second set to force a decider before the favorite sealed the deal with a bagel.
Jannik praised Terence's improvements and called him a unique player. The 2023 champion felt a bit nervous during the match, although he emergedat the top in style after the rival's physical issues.
They met in August in Cincinnati, when Atmane stayed competitive in the opening set. This time he even clinched a set, and Sinner highlighted his growth and distinctive playing style.
Despite ups and downs in the second set, the four-time Major winner was pleased with his overall performance and a place in the last four for the third straight year in the Chinese capital.
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The Italian clinched a break in the third game of the match and saved break points in the next one for 3-1. Terence defended set points in game nine and generated three break points at 4-5.
Jannik denied them and held for 6-4. The servers lost the ground in the second set, with four consecutive breaks of love! Atmane made another push on the return at 6-5 and provided a late break to force a decided.
However, that was all we saw from him. The Frenchman struggled with cramps in the decider and failed to take a game, with the Italian earning a bagel and moving into the last eight.
"There are not many players like Terence; that's for sure. His style is unique, and he is also a lefty. He is a great player and has improved greatly since our Cincinnati duel.
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He struggled a bit with cramps in the third set today, but it was a tricky match. I could not bring the win home from a break up in the second set; it happens. I felt a bit nervous today, which is normal.
Overall, I'm happy to reach the next round," Jannik Sinner said.
